Pathfinder Player Companion: People of the North (PFRPG)

Far beyond the reach of the soft southlander lords lie the frozen forests and icy tundra of the Inner Sea region’s northernmost nations. Here dragon-headed longships ply the arctic seas, nomadic tribes hunt and ride mighty mammoths, and the descendents of the Witch Queen Baba Yaga rule a nation where spring has been forgotten. Whether they’re hardened natives or arctic adventurers, everyone in the northern lands walks a fine line between finding wealth and glory and filling a shallow grave in the bloody snow.

People of the North presents a player-focused, in-depth discussion of the northern nations of the Inner Sea region. Each Pathfinder Player Companion includes new options and tools for every Pathfinder RPG player. Inside this book, you’ll find:

Thorough explorations of the different races and cultures that call the frozen north home, from notorious Ulfen raiders to secretive Snowcaster elves to barbaric Kellids.

Overviews of the three major nations of the North—the viking Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the savage Realms of the Mammoth Lords, and the evil queenship of Irrisen.

New traits and roles to customize characters of every northern ethnicity and nationality.

New feats and archetypes for northern warriors, such as the viking and the witchbreaker, plus new icy spells and the winter oracle mystery.

This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.

Each monthly 32-page Pathfinder Player Companion contains several player-focused articles exploring the volume’s theme as well as short articles with innovative new rules for all types of characters, as well as traits to better anchor the player to the campaign.

One thing I am really hoping is in this book. Well things I should say. I would like to see culture aspects to help bring them to life. Common forms of dress, any forms of address for nobles etc that is common to them(like in Russia you had a Czar instead of a king), common types of foods(since most cultures develop their own types of foods) just anything to help make that ethnic group/s come to life and stand apart. So when PC's go there it feels different and not just cause the people have funny names and or look a little different.

One thing I am really hoping is in this book. Well things I should say. I would like to see culture aspects to help bring them to life. Common forms of dress, any forms of address for nobles etc that is common to them(like in Russia you had a Czar instead of a king), common types of foods(since most cultures develop their own types of foods) just anything to help make that ethnic group/s come to life and stand apart. So when PC's go there it feels different and not just cause the people have funny names and or look a little different.

One thing I am really hoping is in this book. Well things I should say. I would like to see culture aspects to help bring them to life. Common forms of dress, any forms of address for nobles etc that is common to them(like in Russia you had a Czar instead of a king), common types of foods(since most cultures develop their own types of foods) just anything to help make that ethnic group/s come to life and stand apart. So when PC's go there it feels different and not just cause the people have funny names and or look a little different.

+1 to this.

+2 to this.

+3 as well. This is exactly the sort of thing that is not only helpful but adds wonders to immersion.

I wonder if this book will have any archetypes or feats to tie in the Ulfen human affinity for Lycanthropy in their culture...come on playable Lycanthrope Archetypes or Prestige Classes *crosses fingers*

Just for a bit of perspective, Frostburn was a how many hundred page book with tons of prestige classes, monsters, and other crazy environmental stuff? This is a 32-page guy with a lot of cultures and ground to cover. There's going to be tons of cool stuff in here, but just remember a larger container can hold more than a smaller container. In other words, Zoobooks not Encyclopedia Britannica, surgical not comprehensive.

Perhaps, but Frostburn was an *excellent* 3.5e splattbook, possibly one of THE best accessories WoTC published. IMHO, if anyone is intending to release a "cold"-themed accessory, it really should be taking a leaf out of Frostburn (no pun intended) and besides, I'm sure players *want* more cold-themed class options, PrCs, spells, equipment, monsters, locations etc, so why curtail all that possibility on the grounds that "In other words, Zoobooks not Encyclopedia Britannica, surgical not comprehensive". Weight, cost and production time are not an issue. If there is sufficient comprehensive material, the fans will wait for the production time and happily accept the cost and weight of the product...Am I missing something ?

Weight, cost and production time are not an issue. If there is sufficient comprehensive material, the fans will wait for the production time and happily accept the cost and weight of the product...Am I missing something ?

Just the fact that the Player Companion line, of which this book is a part, are limited to "32-page softcover sourcebooks." :)

Weight, cost and production time are not an issue. If there is sufficient comprehensive material, the fans will wait for the production time and happily accept the cost and weight of the product...Am I missing something ?

Just the fact that the Player Companion line, of which this book is a part, are limited to "32-page softcover sourcebooks." :)

It strikes me that The Hex should be petitioning for a Frostburn style of book in the RPG line, not the Player Companions. This is a Golarion sourcebook for players, not an RPG expansion.

Weight, cost and production time are not an issue. If there is sufficient comprehensive material, the fans will wait for the production time and happily accept the cost and weight of the product...Am I missing something ?

Just the fact that the Player Companion line, of which this book is a part, are limited to "32-page softcover sourcebooks." :)

It strikes me that The Hex should be petitioning for a Frostburn style of book in the RPG line, not the Player Companions. This is a Golarion sourcebook for players, not an RPG expansion.

Or a environments and hazards core rule book. I think that would be a good choice as a future GM style book.

What are the chances we will see the Berserker's Cry feat updated to Pathfinder in this product? I am getting tired of lugging my old Inner Sea Guide to game days just to legally use it... especially after I got SKR to sign it at GenCon this year!

What are the chances we will see the Berserker's Cry feat updated to Pathfinder in this product? I am getting tired of lugging my old Inner Sea Guide to game days just to legally use it... especially after I got SKR to sign it at GenCon this year!

I was under the impression a photocopy wasn't legal; only a printed copy of the page from a legal pdf... which I now have. Problem solved!

(Still would like to see it added to this product though. It is only allowed as a "grandfathered" feat, since that book has been replaced with a more recent print version. This feat in particular was not updated in the new version though)

Will, there be any new information on the Varki nomads of the Land of the Linnorm Kings in this book? I see the Erutaki are going to be included, which is good news, and I'm hoping for the Varki as well.

As written, this volume isn't covering all of the north - otherwise it would have to also detail nations like Brevoy, Numeria, Mednev, the World Wound, etc. This one seems to be lumping together the countries wherein being "in the north" is a core part of their identity - Numeria or Mendev could just as easily be found in Garund, for example, but you couldn't stick Irrisen or the Land of the Linnorm Kings down there without drastically altering their character.

True story. All that, any "People of the Northwest" lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.

Well, we considered doing it, but then it got all mainstream and just wasn't cool anymore.

Well, we considered doing it, but then it got all mainstream and just wasn't cool anymore.

I've never met her, but I like the new Project Manager!

Awesome avatar too.

Thanks! Blood of Angels had just come out when I started at Paizo, so Chris kindly snagged the art for me as an avatar. :-) (I loved the pic when I saw it: she's not looking at the "camera," not posing for the viewer -- she's just doing her thing, and she looks happy about it. Plus I like how she's rocking her green hair.)

Feet/inches I can barely live with, but any feat that forces me to break out the Internet in order to find out just what kind of counter-intuitive, arbitrary measurement do the Yankees and Britons use should die. In fire. At least 2000 degrees. CELSIUS.